 To Prevent Release Of Farmed Salmon Into The Wild May 20, 2002
Murkowski, during the 43nd annual Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Conference held this year in Rhode Island, raised his concern that Atlantic salmon were escaping from fish farms in Canada. These escapes threaten Alaska's wild stocks with disease and habitat competition. Earlier this year, Murkowski asked the U.S. State Department to open negotiations with Canada on a new annex to the U.S.-Canada Salmon Treaty to control non-native salmon escapements into the wild. "I expressed my concerns about the effects of the farmed salmon escaping into the wild. I am pleased that Canadian members pledged to work on regulations that would end the escapements of farmed fish.* They said they were very serious about combatting this threat to both country's wild fish runs," said Murkowski upon his return to Washington. Murkowski also pressed Canada to cooperate with the United States in studying the feasibility of extending the Alaska Railroad to connect with the Canadian Rail system. In 2000, Murkowski won approval for legislation setting up a joint 24-member commission to study the feasibility of extending the railroad 1,200 miles to complete a trans-continental link. Events of Sept. 11th slowed diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. State Department and Canada to implement the American federal legislation. Murkowski said he offered several suggestions during the conference to speed up the railroad study process and is hopeful the new suggestions will bear fruit in coming weeks. Murkowski also presented a briefing to Canadian members on the progress of Alaska energy developments. These include an explanation of American efforts to push construction of a gas line to the Lower 48 States, and of Alaska's desire for oil development to occur in a small part of the Arctic coastal plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. According to the news release, both Canadian and U.S. legislators agreed that a serious discussion needed to take place on bringing additional energy resources to the Lower 48. They expressed support for greater self reliance on energy sources within North America. There was no formal action during the conference on either issue.
Source of News Release:
NOTE: Under the rules of the interparliamentary conference, all comments are 3off the record2 preventing the identification by name of comments by conference participants. This is why the source of Canadian comments about the fish farm issue are not identified in this release.
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